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Use of Wetlands to Remediate Gold Mine Effluent

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Use of Wetlands to Remediate Gold Mine Effluent Lakehead University Knowledge Commons,http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca Electronic Theses and Dissertations Retrospective theses 2000 Use of wetlands to remediate gold mine effluent Hayes, Tara M. E. http://knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca/handle/2453/1688 Downloaded from Lakehead University, KnowledgeCommons The Use of Wetlands To Remediate Gold Mine Effluent by Tara M.E. Hayes (S A thesis submitted to Lakehead University for the partial fulfillment of the degree of Master of Scienee in Biology LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY 2000 ProQuest Number: 10611932 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Pro ProQuest 10611932 Published by ProQuest LLC (2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346 Declaration The research presented in this thesis was carried out by the author and has not been previously submitted for credit towards any degree or diploma. The work of others, where included, has been appropriately cited. Copyright 2000 Tara M.E. Hayes Acknowledgments The research conducted in this thesis was made possible through the financial support of Musselwhite Mine, Placer Dome N.A. Ltd.. I would like to thank the Environmental Department at Musselwhite Mine for all of the organizational assistance provided during the 1997 and 1998 field seasons. I would like to take this opportunity to graciously thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Peter F. Lee for all of his patience, guidance and assistance in every venue of this project. Other members of my graduate committee. Dr. A. D. Macdonald, Dr. L. Malek and Dr. W.L. Meyer provided useful comments and suggestions in reviewing this thesis. A special thank you is extended to Ms. Johane Joncas and the entire Lakehead University Environmental Laboratory for all of the assistance provided in the techniques to complete the analytical analysis. I would like to thank my colleagues Derrick Kwiatkowski and Carl Taylor for sharing the field season experience as a team and for the friendship gained. I would like to acknowledge my gratitude to the following individuals; Ms. Erika North for all of her amazing expertise in accurate plant identification, and Robin Hamilton, John Salonen, and Jonathon French for all of their invaluable assistance in the field and laboratory. A special thanks goes out to Mike Kennedy, Christine Bettencourt, Mimi Wollard, Sandra Scott, Jennifer DeForrest, Tania Killian, Tammy Hanson, and Lea Libiseja for all of their support, patience and friendship. I wish to thank my entire family which has provided support by means of love and encouragement throughout my entire academic career. I wish to give a special acknowledgment to my parents for always doing the little extras and providing me with the tools to succeed. I -1- would like to express my appreciation towards two of my siblings; Courtney Hayes for retrieving the articles from the hidden depths of the University of Minnesota Library, and to Kelsey Hayes who provided innocence and wonder to the little tasks of research. Thank you. -11- Table of Contents Acknowledgments i. Table of Contents iii List of Figures v List of Tables viii Abstract 1 General Introduction 3. Chapter 1 6 Introduction 7 Methods 9 Field Site 9 Sampling and Laboratory Procedures 1.1 Vegetation and Sediment/Soil Analysis 1.1 Data Analysis 14 Results 15 Water Analysis 15 Sediment/Soil Analysis 17 Vegetation Analysis 18 Discusssion 26 Changes in Water Quality 26 Changes in Sediment/Soil 28 Uptake of Metals by Plants 29 Effectiveness of the Wetland and Potential Impact on Wildlife ..31 Chapter 2 33 Introduction 34 Methods 36 Field Site 36 Sampling and Laboratory Procedures 36 Vegetation and Sediment/Soil Analysis 38 Data Analysis .40 -iii- Results 41 Water Analysis 41 Sediment/Soil Analysis 41 Vegetation Analysis 43 Discusssion 51 Acid Drainage 51 Changes in Sediment/Soil 51 Uptake of Metals by Plants 52 Chapter 3 55 Introduction 56 Methods 58 Field Site 58 Sampling and Laboratory Procedures 61 Vegetation and Sediment/Soil Analysis 62 Results 65 Water Analysis 65 Sediment/Soil Analysis 68 Vegetation Analysis 69 Discusssion .75 Changes in Water Quality .7.5 Changes in Sediment/Soil .76 Uptake of Metals by Plants 77 General Conclusions 80 References 82. -iv- List of Figures Chapter 1 Figure 1 Location of Musselwhite Mine and the Musselwhite Mine study site locations (a) Site 1, (b) Site 2, (c) Site 3, (d) Site 4, (e) Site 5 10 Figure 2 Total metal concentrations in the water at the entrance and discharge from the treatment wetland in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998. The * indicated statistically different at P < 0.05. The elements which were below detection limits are not presented L6 Figure 3 Treatment means of the elements of the Musselwhite sediment: (a) June 1997 total metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite sites, (b) July 1997 total metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite sites, (c) September 1997 total metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite sites, (d) June 1998 total metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite sites, (e) July 1998 total metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite sites, (f) August 1998 total metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite sites 2.0 Figure 4 Treatment means of the elements of the Musselwhite sediment: (a) June 1997 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite site, (b) July 1997 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite site, (c) September 1997 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite site, (d) June 1998 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite site, (e) July 1998 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite site, (f) August 1998 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Musselwhite site 22 Figure 5 Treatment means of the elements of the Musselwhite vegetation species: a) June 1997 total metals in vegetation at Musselwhite sites, (b) July 1997 total metals in vegetation at Musselwhite sites, (c) September 1997 total metals in vegetation at Musselwhite sites, (d) June 1998 total metals in vegetation at Musselwhite sites, (e) July 1998 total metals in vegetation at Musselwhite sites, (f) August 1998 total metals in vegetation at Musselwhite sites 23 Chapter 2 Figure 1 Location of the Dona Lake Mine study site locations (a) Site 1, (b) Site 2, (c) Site 3, (d) Site 4 37 Figure 2 Treatment means of the elements of the Dona Lake sediment: (a) June 1997 total metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake sites, (b) July 1997 total metals in sediment/soil -V- at Dona Lake sites, (e) September 1997 total metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake sites, (d) June 1998 total metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake sites, (e) July 1998 total metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake sites, (f) August 1998 total metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake sites 45 Figure 3 Treatment means of the elements of the Dona Lake sediment: (a) June 1997 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake site, (b) July 1997 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake site, (c) September 1997 metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake site, (d) June 1998 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake site, (e) July 1998 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake site, (f) August 1998 extractable metals in sediment/soil at Dona Lake site 46 Figure 4 Treatment means of the elements of the Dona Lake vegetation: a) June 1997 total metals in vegetation at Dona Lake sites, (b) July 1997 total metals in vegetation at Dona Lake sites, (c) September 1997 total metals in vegetation at Dona Lake sites, (d) June 1998 total metals in vegetation at Dona Lake sites, (e) July 1998 total metals in vegetation at Dona Lake sites, (f) August 1998 total metals in vegetation at Dona Lake sites 47 Figure 5 Treatment means of the elements of the Dona Lake Typha latifolia species: (a) mean of total metals in Typha latifolia at Dona Lake Mine 1997, (b) mean of total metals in Typha latifolia at Dona Lake Mine 1998 5.0 Chapter 3 Figure 1 Location of Musselwhite Mine 59 Figure 2 The microcosm experiment set up 60 Figure 3 Treatment means of the elements of the microcosm water : (a) June 1998 total metals in water of microcosm treatments, (b) July 1998 total metals in water of microcosm treatments, (c) August 1998 total metals in water of microcosm treatments, (d) June 1998 dissolved metals in water of microcosm treatments, (e) June 1998 dissolved metals in water of microcosm treatments, (f) June 1998 dissolved metals in water of microcosm treatments 66 Figure 4 Treatment means of the elements of the microcosm sediment: (a) July 1998 total metals in sediment/soil in the microcosm treatments, (b) August 1998 total metals in sediment/soil in the microcosm treatments, (c) July 1998 extractable metals in sediment/soil in the microcosm treatments, (d) August 1998 extractable metals in sediment/soil in the microcosm treatments 71 -VI- Figure 5 The progression of the microeosm experiment; (a) the initial stage of the microcosm treatments set up, (b) the organic treatments at the initial stage of the microcosm experiment, (c) the final stage of the microcosm treatment experiment, (d) the organic treatments at the final stage of the microcosm experiment .72 Figure 6 Treatment
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